Guest Profile

Erica Olenski Johansen

Erica has proven that self-care, advocacy, and servant leadership can not just help heal, but also help inspire and motivate meaningful industry change. After spending a career in healthcare, Erica found herself divorced from an alcoholic and supporting her infant son as his primary caregiver in his brain cancer recovery after being diagnosed at only 5-months-old. Despite the odds, Erica persevered through burnout and depression to become an Ironman in September 2021 and was recognized by the healthcare industry as a leading voice on patient and caregiver advocacy in March 2022. Additionally, as a way to honor her son's experience and give back to families who have had medical trauma impact their lives, Erica is launching a non-profit called August's Artists to provide hospitalized children and their families with access to coloring materials during inpatient hospitalizations and personalized artwork that inspires healing.